Rotary Casing Drill Grip Assembly with Compression Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gripper designs for drilling wells are slow and cumbersome, leading to unnecessary delays and costs in drilling operations.
Innovation Solution
A rotary casing drill with a grip assembly that includes grippers that move radially inward to grip tubular pipes of varying diameters, using a compression ring and actuators to efficiently rotate and grip the pipes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional gripper designs are used, then the drilling operation can proceed, but the operation is slow and cumbersome leading to delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical gripper mechanisms with a hydraulic actuation system. Hydraulic cylinders provide powerful radial movement of the compression ring, enabling rapid gripping and release of casing sections. This substitution of mechanical systems with hydraulic actuation directly addresses the slowness and cumbersomeness of traditional gripper designs, improving drilling operation speed while reducing downtime.
2Ease of operation
If conventional gripper mechanisms are used, then the casing can be gripped and rotated, but the process is cumbersome and adds delay
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper assembly is segmented into multiple independent components: hydraulic cylinders, a compression ring, and individual gripper elements. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall operation. The hydraulic cylinders radially move the compression ring, which in turn actuates the gripper elements, creating a modular system that is easier to operate and maintain compared to conventional integrated gripper mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression ring serves as an intermediary element between the hydraulic actuation system and the gripper elements. The hydraulic cylinders radially displace the compression ring, which then transmits this movement to the gripper elements, causing them to move radially inward to grip the casing. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the control system by decoupling the hydraulic actuation from the direct gripping action, making the overall system easier to operate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The rotary casing drill enables faster and more efficient rotation of tubular pipes, reducing downtime and costs associated with traditional gripper designs.
Implementation Method 1
a compression ring that is positioned radially outwardly from the grippers and is configured to move in an axial direction from a first position to a second position, wherein axial movement of the compression ring causes radial movement of the grippers
Implementation Method 2
at least one biasing member that is configured to bias one or more of the grippers radially outwardly away from the tubular structure when the compression ring is moved axially away from the grippers
Implementation Method 3
a push-pull structure that is positioned radially outwardly of the compression ring, the push-pull structure is configured to move the compression ring in an axial direction upon movement of the push-pull structure
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary casing drill for gripping and rotating a tubular structure such as a well casing. The drill includes a housing having at least one gear positioned within the housing. The drill also includes a grip assembly that is driven by the gear. The grip assembly is configured to grip the tubular structure to allow the tubular structure to be rotated about an axis. The grip assembly including a plurality of grippers that are configured to grip the tubular structure to allow it to be rotated. The grippers are positioned radially outwardly from the tubular structure and are adapted to move in a radial direction toward and away from the tubular structure. The grip assembly also includes a compression ring that is positioned radially outwardly from the grippers and is configured to move in an axial direction from a first position to a second position. Axial movement of the compression ring causes radial movement of the grippers. The grip assembly further includes a push-pull member configured to axially move the compression ring and at least one biasing member that is configured to bias one or more of the grippers radially outwardly away from the tubular structure when the compression ring is moved axially away from the grippers by the push-pull member. When the compression ring is in the second position, the push-pull member is permitted to float with respect to the compressing ring.